SINGAPORE: Singapore has introduced legislation that will repeal the existing legal ban on sex between men, and a constitutional amendment to protect the current definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.
The proposed repeal of a colonial-era law known as Section 377A was introduced in parliament after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the initiative in August. He said at the time it was “the right thing to do” and is something most Singaporeans will now accept.
For a regional financial hub that wants to attract top foreign talent, the repeal may help the city-state become more welcoming for gay tourists and companies that actively support LGBTQ causes.
But the government also seeks to control a divisive issue in Singapore’s multicultural society by striking a balance between members of the LGBTQ community advocating for greater acceptance and the conservative groups pushing back.
The amendment protecting marriage is seen as a compromise, making clear that it is parliament’s prerogative to define marriage so that it can’t be challenged in the courts.
“Even with the repeal of Section 377A, most Singaporeans still want to maintain the current family and social norms, where marriage is between a man and a woman, and children are brought up in such a family structure,” the government said in a statement.
Earlier this month, authorities in Singapore penalised Vogue magazine for publishing material promoting “non-traditional families”.
Parliament will have powers “to make laws to define, regulate, protect, safeguard, support foster and promote the institution of marriage,” the government statement said. The amendment will also protect government policies based on the definition of marriage that include public housing rules or financial benefits for married couples.
Over the years, activists mounted a series of unsuccessful lawsuits against the ban on sex between men, which carries a maximum jail term of two years.
For now, a majority of Singaporeans are against same-sex marriages though there was support for the planned repeal of Section 377A. A recent poll by Blackbox Research found 55% of the respondents said “no” when asked whether they personally support gay marriage while 31% said “yes”
“A government has a duty both to lead but also to understand the people’s wishes,” Law Minister K Shanmugam told Bloomberg News last month.
“On 377A, the repeal, we are trying to forge as much of a consensus as possible and move forward on some social harmony on an issue that has torn asunder the social fabrics in many countries.”